


It Might Not Be Much

by DellaBella



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Episode Related, Explicit Language, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Male Friendship, One Shot, One-sided Mac McDonald/Dennis Reynolds, Sad Mac McDonald, everyone is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29268531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DellaBella/pseuds/DellaBella
Summary: Set immediately after S3, EP11 "Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender"Mac is feeling like crap after messing up his Dad's attempt at reconciliation. He needs someone to talk to, and the only person available is his roommate. Dennis, as usual, doesn't care about anyone else's problems, but he at least makes an attempt.
Relationships: Mac McDonald & Dennis Reynolds, Mac McDonald/Dennis Reynolds
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	It Might Not Be Much

**Author's Note:**

> I've been binging this entire series, and Mac and Dennis are killing me... I just rewatched this episode and had this idea of a follow up scene. I just love the dynamic with these two.

Today had absolutely sucked ass in the worst possible kind of way. Mac finally had a chance to have a relationship with his father, but as usual he had screwed it up. He sulked as he walked down the hall to his apartment, steeling himself as he turned his key in the door. Dennis would probably give him hell for it, and Mac felt that he deserved it. 

It wasn't all bad, though. He always had someone at home to come back to. Even if that someone could be an absolute asshole at times, at least he was there. And despite outward appearances, Mac was convinced their friendship was rock solid.

Dennis had gone home first, to nurse his wounds- both the physical ones, and the bruises to his ego. By the time Mac stepped into their shared apartment, his roommate was sprawled out on the sofa, leafing through the latest copy of Maxim Magazine.

Mac trudged in, feeling defeated and hollow. He stood over the sofa. “Hey, move over so I can sit down.”

“Go sit in the chair,” Dennis snapped.

“I don’t wanna. I like the sofa.”

Dennis grunted but acquiesced, moving his feet just enough for Mac to sit at the far end of the sofa. It was quiet in their apartment. Not the peaceful kind of quiet. The sound of Dennis turning pages seemed to echo loudly off the walls. Mac didn’t like the silence. He rarely ever enjoyed being left alone with his thoughts.

“Well, today kinda sucked, huh?” Mac said finally. Dennis dropped his magazine onto his chest and stared at him impatiently. Mac looked at him apologetically. “Like, I really messed up big time ratting out my dad…”

“Do you think I really want to hear about _your_ problems?” Dennis groused, grabbing an ice pack from the end table and holding it over his eye. “I got the shit beat out of me by a bunch of middle aged men at the playground!”

“Yeah, that’s pretty embarrassing, dude. Maybe you should take some karate lessons or something. For self defense.”

Dennis growled and grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be an empty beer bottle, and chucked it at Mac, grazing the side of the other man’s scalp.

“Hey! Quit it, jerk!”

“I could have beaten them up if I wasn’t completely outnumbered! And I’m really starting to think that Dee set me up.”

“Oh, yeah, she totally set you up.” Mac laughed. “It’s pretty funny when you think about it.”

“No it’s not!” Dennis exclaimed, his voice taking on that dangerous tone that indicated he was about to actually get angry. He lifted his magazine again, blocking Mac’s view of his bruised face, replacing it with the glossy image of a busty model that Mac couldn’t care less about.

Mac felt a twinge of guilt. The gang always harassed each other, always laughed at each other’s misery, but for some reason it didn’t feel quite as good when Dennis was the one who was hurt.

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while. Dennis was motionless, but Mac shifted nervously, too full of anxious energy to remain still.

Finally Dennis sighed in irritation, lowering his magazine yet again. “Can you stop that?”

“Stop what?”

“Stop all that moving around! It’s getting on my nerves.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Mac said,clasping his hands in his lap and trying his best to not move at all.

There was another long moment of silence, and this time it was Mac who spoke first. “I really fucked things up with my Dad. He was really going to try to work things out with me, but now he wants to kill me!” His voice broke just a little, much to his embarrassment.

Dennis sighed again, but it wasn’t quite as angry this time. There was even the slightest hint of pity in it. “Your Dad kills people and eats them. Mac. If there’s anyone who’s fucked up in this situation it’s him. Not you.” He tossed his magazine onto the coffee table, looking up at his roommate seriously.

Mac frowned, because of both Dennis’s words, and his swollen black eye. “I don’t think he eats people.”

“Oh? Well, that’s too bad. I thought that was kinda awesome.”

“Yeah, guess so.”

Dennis rolled his eyes. “That’s not my point, anyway. I’m just saying, your Dad is the one who’s screwed up. It’s not _your_ fault he’s a murderer.” 

Mac bit his bottom lip, trying not to show too much emotion. He knew that Dennis never responded well to that. “Okay, yeah. Good point.”

“Good point? It’s an _excellent_ point! I’ve studied psychology at a prestigious university. I know what I’m talking about. It’s not your fault, so quit worrying about it.”

Mac felt a strange sense of… _something._ This was the closest thing to emotional support he’d heard from Dennis in ages. It was a rare and precious thing, and he didn't want to ruin the moment by saying something utterly stupid. He decided to take a minute to think of some kind of reasonable response.

He glanced over at his roommate, letting his gaze drift slowly up the other man’s form. He took in the long legs and flat stomach. The little nook between his collarbones that was visible thanks to the top buttons of his shirt being undone... Finally, he met bright blue eyes that stared back at him quizzically.

Mac swallowed unwittingly, forcing back those strange thoughts that seemed to form all too often in the recesses of his mind. “Thanks, man. You’re really a good friend.”

Dennis snorted, clearly not impressed. “Whatever. I just don’t need you moping around the apartment, crying about your psycho prison dad. That shit’s annoying.”

“Hmmm,” Mac muttered in response, feeling a little hurt that his praise had gone unreciprocated. Not that he had really expected much more than that from Dennis. “You wanna order some Chinese takeout?”

“Yeah, sure. But don’t order like ten egg rolls this time. You’re gonna get fat!”

“I’m not getting fat, I’m gaining body mass,” Mac corrected him. He grabbed the phone and dialed the number he had memorized by now. Dennis made some sort of disapproving noise, but Mac disregarded it as he placed his usual order.

Dennis had given up completely on reading now, and had turned the television on to some sort of sleazy reality show. Mac sprinted to the kitchen to grab them both a beer before settling back onto the sofa to spend the evening the way he usually did- getting drunk and watching stupid shows with his roommate.

It was a comfortable routine. Predictable, but not in a boring sort of way. They’d laugh, probably get into some dumb argument, and then pass out drunk. Tomorrow this would all be forgotten and everything would be back to normal.

_It might not be much_ , Mac thought sullenly, casting a furtive glance at his roommate, _but at least it's something._


End file.
